Law Code of Hammurabi
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Law Code of Hammurabi
Formerly a region of much conflict, the Babylonian Kingdom unified Sumerian and Akkadian city-states under King Hammurabi. King Hammurabi was the first king of Babylon, he reigned from 1792-1750 B.C.E. (Arts and Culture).During his reign Babylon became a great metropolis. Hammurabi’s code was a legal document that is today considered not only the earliest known written body of laws, but also historic art. The law codes are inscribed on to a stele, which is a slab of stone set vertically. It stands seven feet approximately, and is Basalt (Arts and Culture).At the top of the stone King Hammurabi is shown talking to the sun god Shamash.
He is standing and Shamash is seated and is larger than the King. This clearly signifies the greater of the two. Shamash represented righteousness and justice, thus making the right god for a code of laws (Arts and Culture). Hammurabi believed that he was chosen by the god specifically to write these laws.
The laws were based on an-eye-for-an-eye, tooth-for-a-tooth concept. The penalties varied and were determined by the social class of the harmed (Arts and Culture). The laws were publicly displayed, and arranged in orderly groups. It was setup this way so that all might read and know what was required of them. (
To give a better understanding of the Law Code Of Hammurabi I will show examples of each law pertaining to maltreatment, property, Land, family, and labor.
Maltreatment
If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judges bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgment.
Property
If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from him shall be put to death.
If a chieftain or a man leave his house, garden, and field and hires it out, and some one else takes possession of his house, garden, and field and uses it for three years: if the first owner return and claims his house, garden, and field, it shall not be given to him, but he who has taken possession of it and used